Not only does your web site offer you a chance to market your company, it’s also an opportunity to exercise your commitment to sustainability. One way to green your marketing is to make the web your primary advertising focus. Through e-mail newsletters, online ads, and promoting your domain name on all company correspondence, you can drive traffic to your web site and cover a lot of marketing ground without having to waste paper. Focusing your advertising efforts on the internet means less printed advertising, which means less paper waste and fewer pollutants released (the printing process and ink pigments create a lot of them).

Starting a document for web site planning is a good way to get organized. Start planning your company web site by thinking about the people who will be visiting it. Visualize and write down your web site’s ideal target audience: who do you want to visit your site and who is your ideal customer? Think about what you want visitors to be able to do once they’re at your site: contact you, browse your product catalog, maybe even make a purchase. The rest of the internet is only a click away, so how will you keep people interested so they stay on your site? What is the first impression you want to make? Research other web sites and note ones you like, whether it be for content, look and feel, or use of technology. Once you have a good idea of what you want in a web site, it’s time to consult a professional to help make your ideas a reality.

In this do-it-yourself world, many people want to make their own web site. While this may work well for sharing your family photos or a personal blog, designing your own company web site is not the best idea. When you need legal counsel, you consult a lawyer. When you need medical advice, you ask a doctor. So when it comes to the centerpiece of your marketing efforts and your customers’ first impression of your company, it’s important to consult a professional web designer or a web development company. Luckily for the ecopreneur, there are many like-minded design firms that specialize in green web design. Remember that a web site is an important investment with a lot of potential to grow your business, and you usually get what you pay for.

When discussing your new site with your chosen design firm, you’ll want to make sure you mention that your goal is to produce your site as sustainably as possible. You, or the company you hire, can find a green web host to host your site and register a domain name. Share your notes and planning documents with the design firm to make sure the resulting web site fits your needs and ideas. You may want to consult a copywriter (although many larger firms will have one at your disposal) to make sure that the text on your site is exciting, easy to read, and consistent.

Don’t be tempted by all the technological bells and whistles available on the web. Putting too much motion, new technology, and activity into one site can be overwhelming for users, but of course it all depends on your target audience. A good web design firm should be able to strike the right balance between the latest technological features and making sure your site is accessible to all. The site experience should make sense for the user.

Once you have a web site for your company, use it to its fullest potential. Promote your web site on business cards, in your e-mail signature, and in all your company’s marketing materials. Ask your design firm to make sure your site is optimized for search engines, and submit your site to online directories. You may even want to send a monthly or quarterly e-newsletter to potential and current customers to increase your site’s visibility. Also, be sure you keep track of your web site’s traffic. Many web hosts include traffic reports in their hosting packages. You can also ask your design firm to set up Google Analytics so you can watch your numbers and find out where your visitors are coming from.

Keep your web site up-to-date, whether it means having a company blog or adding new products and features consistently. Having new content posted often will also help your search engine rankings. Ideally, someone in your company, or your design firm, will be responsible for making regular updates to your site.

Web sites are an important business investment and a powerful marketing tool in today’s world. Make sure that your web site is as green as your business by making sustainable choices in advertising, web hosting, and web designers.

Read More About Creating a Green Web Site for your Business:

• Using The Web to Build Your Green Business
• Free Range Studios Offers Free Marketing for Worthy Causes
• Social Networking and Online Marketing for the Ecopreneur

Image: 2005 Map of the Internet via matthewjetthall on flickr under a Creative Commons license.

One of my favorite things about using the internet to promote my business is that it’s green and inexpensive (if not free). So online marketing and social networking is a great way to get your name out there without using any paper or creating any trash. A good way to start your foray into the world of online marketing is to first establish a web site for your business. This will often be your potential customers’ first impression of your company, so it will be an important investment in both time and money. Once you have a web site, networking through social media sites is a great way to promote it and drive traffic to your site. Online marketing is a strategy that’s becoming more and more popular among entrepreneurs, and thankfully it is one with minimal impact on the planet.

There are countless social networking web sites out there. The tricky part is narrowing them down to just the ones you’ll actually be able to keep up to date on and those that fits your company’s target market the best. When creating a business profile on any social media site, be sure to share only information you want the entire world to see, and avoid making your profile too personal. You can always create a personal profile as well, just keep the two separate. Once you’ve found a few sites you like, spend some time on the sites and get to know the community before posting anything. Many times, straight marketing pitches don’t do well on social media sites (you don’t want to be labeled a spammer), so keep your marketing subtle and stay relevant to the topics discussed. I find all I really need is to add my web site links to my profile and my signature. Be careful, some sites become quite addicting!

Here’s a brief list of some social media sites that I’ve found useful for networking, bringing in visits to my site, and meeting others in my field or the green market niche.

• StumbleUpon is the granddaddy of social media sites. Install the toolbar to “stumble” around the web, keep track of your favorite sites, and build a following of stumblers. Submitting links to StumbleUpon is a great way to drive traffic to your site.
• LinkedIn is a professional networking site that business owners will find especially helpful. It’s a way to manage and make connections, rub elbows with other professionals, and even find jobs or employees. There are groups within LinkedIn such as Sustainability Working Group that cater to various niches.
• Responsible World Citizen is a niche online network dedicated to promoting social responsibility and sustainability. It’s a community for conscious business owners and ecopreneurs, so I’m sure you’ll fit right in!
• Ning is not really a social networking site, but it allows you to create your own social network, or join one that others have created. So it acts as a hub for themed social networks. A search for “green business” on Ning turned up a bunch of results worth checking out.
• Hugg is the Digg of green. It’s a collection of green news, articles and web sites submitted by the community, so it’s a great place to post your most recent green-themed article from your business blog. Brought to you by the folks at TreeHugger, it’s a great networking tool (and source of green news) for sustainable businesses.
• Co-op America’s Green Business Network is a useful site for connecting with other green businesses. Co-op America offers many additional benefits, such as green certification, a listing in their directory, and many other useful resources, to businesses that become members.
• Don’t forget the Green Options network! From advertising options to the discussion forum, there are a lot of great opportunities to network with like-minded greenies.

There are many more social media sites, from Facebook to MySpace to Digg, that can help you network and bring in traffic to your web site. Many offer groups you can join on specific topics and can be a great place to find potential customers, clients, and vendors. Be sure to look for groups that fit your market niche and industry, as well as those promoting green living and sustainability. With online marketing, it’s helpful to cast a wide net so that links to your company site are all over the web. But as with anything, the more time and effort you put into each social media site, the more you’ll get out of it. So it may be wise to pick a few sites to focus your efforts on. There are definitely enough to keep you busy, the hard part is choosing just a handful and not becoming a complete internet junkie. For some of us, it’s far too late for that!

Related Articles on the Green Options Network:

• Times They Are a Changing: Green Marketing Tips for Eco Entrepreneurs in 2008 on Ecopreneurist.
• Ten Ways to Change the World Through Social Media on Sustainablog.
• PR Tips For Green Entrepreneurs on Ecopreneurist.

But there are millions of ecopreneurial enterprises prospering throughout the U.S. and around the world. Perhaps you’re one, too.

So, we have formed a partnership with EcoSector.com, an on-line portal serving as a unique conduit for growing the green economy, offering opportunities to share video clips, feature photographs of products or services, and display blogs. Besides EcoSector.com’s search function, find possible funding support, announce new products or services, or inspire other ecopreneurs. It’s a dynamic ecopreneuring portal that incorporates ideas from those business owners who use it. Perhaps best of all, is completely free to use.

Among the many features which might help you launch or grow your business include:

• Secure possible funding support for your enterprise
• Foster business-to-business networking with other sustainable business enterprises
• Share your knowledge and experience to help inspire other ecopreneurs in as they launch or develop their enterprise
• Garner new business leads or sales
• Locate new employees or interns eager to work in the green economy for a sustainable enterprise
• Submit timely new information (for example, a press releases about a product launch) or events

Share Your Ecopreneur Profile on EcoSector.com

Submit your own ecopreneur profile on EcoSector.com and connect with other enterprising ecopreneurs who are changing the world for the better through the businesses they create. There is no fee to join the EcoSector.com portal.

For some ecopreneurs, it might even bring the needed capital to get their enterprise off the ground or develop it further. We look forward to learning more about your green business or enterprise.

All participants to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme ought to have submitted crucial data on their 2007 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 31 March. The greenhouse gas data would be sourced by around 10,500 companies involved in carbon trading and is an important factor influencing the market price of traded carbon.

But many of the parties failed to meet the deadline, which is why the EU authorities in charge of the information said they will release the data to the public at a later date.

Emissions data is of vital importance for market traders because it shows the level of demand for the instruments they trade. The data is seen as a benchmark number setting the appropriate carbon price.

EU rules for energy-intensive industry mandate the submission of one emissions permit for every ton of carbon dioxide emissions. The permits, called EU Allowances (EUAs) can be “offset” by trading them on the exchange. Volumes as well as the prices on the European Climate Exchange have seen a steady rise since the exchange was created in 2005. During March close to 120 million tons EUAs were traded, an average volume of futures and options of 6.3 million. This marked an increase of 61% compared to March 2007.

Reuters quotes a Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Lewis who said that he expects 2007 carbon dioxide emissions are likely between 2,180-2,220 million tons. 2007 levels were between 2,100-2,140 million tons. Lewis added that his prognosis was made assuming unchanged economic demand, weather and commodity prices.

This is good news for carbon traders, because the 2008 permit supply stands at 2,083 million tons, so there’s a shortage of supply. That should drive up EUA prices in the second phase of the carbon trading scheme. Lewis said the price is likely to go up to 35 euros per ton during 2008-12 (the second phase).

This is a drastic turnaround from the first phase of the carbon market (2005-2007), which saw an oversupply of permits, causing a carbon price to fall. Last Friday, benchmark EUA contracts for 2008 delivery were trading down 14 cents at 22.12 euros ($34.87).

The 27 national governments which together make up the European Union enter the permissions data in a central Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL), which is a real time tool accessible to the public. It lists all the individual participants by name, company name, phone number and email address.

The authorities in charge of CITL reported that not enough data had been submitted for them to release it. At least 80% of the data entered for the 2006 emissions needs to have been reported before the numbers will be released. This is so the markets don’t trade on false information.

CITL announced that it won’t “give public access to installation-level verified emissions data today [April 1].” Instead, the data will be released as soon as enough submissions have been registered to make the 80% grade.

The UK has independently published estimates of 2007 greenhouse gas emissions levels. Government officials put out provisional figures indicating UK emission levels reached 639.4 million tons. This was 2 percent lower than the 2006 figure of 652.3 million tons.

The two research houses put the LOHAS market size down at $209 billion. This number includes services as well as tangible products. LOHAS are determined by NMI and Nielsen as people who “have a meaningful sense of environmental and social responsibility and incorporates those values into their purchase decisions.”

Apart from participating in the consumer research, last year the NMI collaborated with financial consultants on the launch of what’s known as the LOHAS index. The index comprises the top fifty “most ethical companies” as rated by both consumers and investment analysts.

Surprisingly, Microsoft corporation tops the list. McDonald’s is in the ranking as well. But mind you, the financial analysts involved in constructing the index said that they themselves had been in for a surprise too. They had included consumer opinions in their decisions and found consumers to be way less tolerant of companies’ social behavior than the financial analysts themselves. That’s quite poignant.

It underscores the importance of getting an independent body to verify that what’s being marketed as ethical, actually lives up to the term.

In Portland last weekend, I had the chance to visit two single-manufacturer boutiques in their home town, and I am happy to report that, at least when sales are on, store traffic was bustling.

My favorite brand in terms of creative styling and wow design is Nau. The brand started by an idealistic but experienced team, many of whom met while working at Patagonia, is all about sustainability whether in sourcing, distribution or retailing. Using fabrics created from recycled polyester and plastics, as well as organically grown cotton and cashmere, Nau’s clothing is surprisingly and pleasingly hip for a company focused on outdoor wear.

Nau isn’t just focused on its own efforts to green the world, it also raises awareness of the efforts of a number of local and international nonprofit organizations, by asking customers to select from among them for a donation of a percentage of purchase. Donating to environmental organizations is almost a must for sustainable businesses. (See my recent post on Brilliant Earth.) But Nau does something I haven’t seen anywhere else and that is they pay YOU to have them ship your purchases to you, to the tune of 10% of your purchases. It’s a great incentive to help Nau cut down on store sizes and product transportation costs.

My only complaint about Nau is that the store I visited is in a high-end mall, which requires driving to get to from anywhere, as far as I can tell. However, we can all shop at Nau.com.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about my visit to another Portland-based clothing line that came highly recommended and didn’t disappoint.

However, I got a very different story. Brilliant Earth has been entirely boot-strapped, although that adjective doesn’t seem apt for a company that sells beautiful products, has an elegant identity system, and does business via a beautiful website.

Brilliant Earth sells conflict-free diamonds, which are mined in Canada in accordance with environmental laws as well as jewelry made of “renewed” gold and platinum, i.e., recycled metals.

Instead of investing in a large inventory up front, Gerstein and Eric Grossberg started Brilliant Earth by serving as a match-maker so to speak for people looking for conflict-free diamonds for engagement rings, as well as other jewelry pieces of ethical origins. Gerstein says, “Our philosophy was to start to build supplier relationships and then to get customers, growing organically.”

Given that the products are photographed beautifully and are shipped free with a 30-day return policy, it is not so surprising that consumers were willing to buy from BrilliantEarth.com, although I am sure no entrepreneur would want to hear me discount how much work it is to make the first first few sales.

What is surprising is that Gerstein and Grossberg had trouble finding suppliers willing to let Brilliant Earth sell their products. Gerstein explained, “[Fine jewelry] is a trust-driven business. There are lots of family businesses with relationships going back a very long time. You would think that if you want to retail their products companies would be happy to work with you.” However, Brilliant Earth wasn’t just a new company trying to break into an established industry, but, as Gerstein says, “We were asking questions that they weren’t used to. We have certain specs and parameters we want our suppliers to meet. We only want manufacturers that use recycled platinum and gold.” Plus Brilliant Earth wanted to change the business model. Instead of purchasing inventory, they wanted to take possession of the product when they had found customers.

Brilliant Earth’s story should be encouraging to entrepreneurs, since they are making it. Gerstein and Grossberg started the company in April of 2005 and made their first customer match within a few months. As you can see from this photo of Gerstein (left) at the Green Festival in San Francisco in November, the Company has working capital to invest in marketing, including sample inventory and booth space at shows, which can cost thousands of dollars per event.

As happy as I am to see all of these green youngsters on the block, it does my heart a lot of good to see green businesses that were started five or ten years ago, when green was not so hip, get a big boost from all of media attention now turned on all things green.

One example is Pharmacopia which was started in 1999. When the hot thing in entrpreneurism was launching a dot-com, Lisa Levin was quietly blending her own lotions and soaps from essential oils and organic ingredients. Lisa first gained a significant market presence for Pharmacopia products in natural products shops, with the Company eventually getting distribution in Whole Foods and other larger natural food stores.

Fortunately, intuition and personal taste had led Lisa, who designed the company’s identity and packaging herself, to make everything about Pharmacopia as elegant as the high-quality ingredients she uses in Pharmacopia’s line of body care products. Day spas and pampering have become a major retail and hospitality trend, and Pharmacopia is perfectly suited for spas and boutique hotels, such as the Delano boutique hotel in South Beach. As Lisa says, “We can either focus on the fact that we use only pure essential oils and organic ingredients or that we provide a really luxurious product.”

Pharmacopia is now well positioned for the increase in green consciousness. One of the first ways people become concerned about organics and natural products is when considering what to put in and on their body. True pampering now requires the safest and most natural ingredients possible.

And it doesn’t hurt that green is IN. A list of celebrity Pharmacopia clients and high-profile media placements shows how start-studded and high-profile, going green has gone.

Pharmacopia is not just for Grape Nuts eaters anymore. Company President Andreliz Bautista says, “People are interested in green even if their whole lives aren’t focused on it. Green options are what people need.”

P.S. For a related discussion of green or organic body care choices, please see a post on our sister blog, Eco Child’s Play.